Operating means for circuit controllers



y 14, 1929- I w. c. LOCKE 1,713,493

I OPERATING MEANS FOR CIRCUIT CONTROLLERS Filed March 16, 1925 Pic-1.1.

Patented May 14, 1929.

WILLIAM C. LOCKE, OF ROCHESTER, 'NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO 7 SIGNAL COMPANY,OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

GENERAL RAILWAY OPERATING MEANS FOR CIRCUIT CONTROLLERS.

Application file d March 16, 1925. Serial x... 15,839.

This invention relates to circuit controllers, and more particularly toa latching means for the operating crank or handle ofa circuitcontroller for railway signals, switches, and intel-locking circuits.

At some locations on railway systems, it is found desirable to operatecertain switches and signals from a remote point, such as a despatchersofiice, passenger station, tower or the like. In such installations,where the switches, signals or other devices are electricallyoperated,fa small circuit controller,

commonly called a desk type of circuit con-' troller, is used, acomplete description of this type otf circuit controller being given inthe application of Richard C. Leake, Serial No. 602,042, filed November20, 1922. In the operation of a circuit controller 01" this type, asmall operating crank or handle is used to rotate a drum or othersuitable contact arrangement, and it is essential that this crank beswung to and held. in a definite position until the operation of theswitch, signal or other appliance has been completed.

\Vith the above and other considerations in mind, it is proposed inaccordance with the presentinvention to provide anoperating handle foruse in connection with a desk type circuit controller which incorporatesa double latching mechanism designed to insure that the handlewill'bestopped and latched ina definite position when swung by theoperator. More specifically, it is proposed to provide an operatingcrank or handle having a movable knob which must be held in oppositepositions for eachsuccessive step in the operation of the controller,and whichincludes mechanism 'for bringing the handle to a stop at adefinite position. V r

Other objects, characteristics and advantageous features of the presentinvention will become apparent as the description thereof progresses.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made totheaccompanying drawings in which I I i r Fig. 1 is a sectional side Viewof the operating handle, together with certain partsof a deskltypecircuit controller with which it is to be used Figure 2 is a view of theoperating handle taken along the line 22 of Fig. I, viewed in thedirection of the arrows; and

"Fig. 3' is a front view of the operating handle.

the form of a bell crank lever 16.

Referring to Fig.1, a portion of a desk type circuitcontroller hasbeenshown, and

asthe construction of the controller,,apart beveled gear segment 7 ispinned to the innerend of the shaft 5, and meshes with a compound gear 8comprising a beveled gearsector 9 on one side thereof and a spur gearsector 10 on the other side. The spu'r g ear sector 10 engages a secondspur gear sector 11, pinned to the shaft 12 of a contact drum 13. Thedrum 13 carries suitable insulated contacts, and severalstationaryinsulated contact fingers 14' are arranged to bear thereon,

. closing circuits at certain positions of the drum 13. 'The gearmech'anism described forms an operating connectionbetween the, shaft 5and the circuit controlling drunr13, so that various definite positionsof the shaft 5 correspond to the positions of the drum 13 at whichvarious circuits are closed or opened.

As thecircuit controller shown is ordinarily used in connectionwithseveral other similar controllers. and as the operation of thesecontrollers and the switches, signals or other devices whose operationthey govern is usually interlocked, a simplified form of 'interlockingmechanisin' has been shown. A magnet '15 is secured to the support 6,and is provided with a pivotally supported armature in A locking dog17is carriedin the guide 18 on the front wall 2 of the'casing, and isconnected to the end of the lever 16. Directly beneath the locking dog17 is a locking sector 19, inned to the shaft 5 as shown, and providewith notches or depressionsin the peripheral edge thereof, which areadapted to be engaged by the locking dog 17 when the magnet 15 isdeenergized, thus limiting the movement of the operating shaft 5. It isto be understood that the energization of the magnet 15' is con-Y tionor the dynamic indication of certain signals orswitch machines, so thatthe operating shaft 5 may be moved only under certain conditions of thecontrolled apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the operating crank or handle whichcomprises the present invention, a crank arm 1s pinned to the portion ofthe shaft 5 which inner face, and has two studs or extensions 21 and 22on its outer face. An operating knob 23 having a flanged portion 24 ispinned to a rod 25 which passes through a slot 26 inthe face of thecrank arm 20. A reduced portion of the rod 25 passes througha hole inthe latch guide 27 and is riveted to the stop member 28. The latch guide27 coinprises a movably mounted .channel-like'nie'nn beriofsubstantially U-shaped cross section, and carries the heads 29 and 30 oftwo latch members L and L which are provided with inwardly extendinglatching pins 31 and 32 as shown. The heads 29 and 30 of the latchmembers L and L have vertically drilled holes therein through which arod 33 is passed, the head 29 being securely pinned to the rod 33, andthe head 30 being slidably mounted thereon. A spring 34 is suitablyfixed, as by a washer and pin, at the lower end of the rod 33, and iscompressed to exert an upward pressure upon the head 30 of the lowerlatching member L A cover plate 35,

' provided with a slot 36 forthe accommodation of the latching pins 31and 32, is secured over the inner face of the crank arm 20, beingfastened by the screws 37 An arcuate latching strip 38 is secured to thefront wall 2 of the casing by means of the screws 39, passing into theraised por-l tions 40/ This strip 38 is provided with several notches 41and 42 on its upper and lower edges respectively, these notches being ofa suitable shape and size to retain the latching pins 31 and 32 snuglytherein. The upper and lower notches in he strip38 are successivelyarranged on opposite edges thereof as shown in Fig. 2.

In operating the crank or handle from the position shown in Fig. 2, theoperator first places his thumb on the knob 23 and his first fingerbeneath the stud or extension 21 and presses the knob 23- downward. Thestop member'28 bears against the head 30 of the lower latching member Lsliding this member downward on the rod 33, moving the inwardlyextending latching pin32 out of the depression 42 in the strip 38 andcompressing the spring 34:. The crank is now moved to the right or leftuntil one of the upper notches all on the strip 38 is encountered,whereupon the upper latching pin 31 is quickly forced into this notch bythe action of thespring 34 which is attached .the upper latch pin 31 outof the upper notch 41, whereupon the crank may again be moved in eitherdirection. When theknob 23 is lifted, the spring as is compressedagainst the lower latching memberL through the rod 33, and the lowerlatching pin 32 is forced into the notch a2 when the crank is moved toits proper position.

Aftera careful consideration of the description given, it is seen thatwhen the crank is moved from one'position toanother, the mechanism isstopped and held in a definite position by the latching means. This isvery desirable where the control circuits for railway signals orswitchmachines are governed by the circuit controller. If an ordinary type ofcrank or lever were used, and no definite stop or latch were provided,the crank might easily be swung a little past its proper operatingpoint, thus causing a false indication of a signal, allowing the pointsof a track switch to remain in their mid-position, or otherwiseimproperly controlling certain signaling or switching devices. lncertain cases, if the crank is moved too far, the locking dog 17on theinterlocking mechanism may engage a notch on the locking sector 19 andthus prevent the return of the shaft 5, together with the contact druln13, to the desired position.v

The latching means of the present invention is constructed to provide aconvenient form of operating handle which will be instinctively used insuch a manner as to insure that the crank will be stopped and latched atthepositions at which circuits are closed by the drum contacts. Thecrank may be most easily operated by pressing theknob 23 and one of theextensions 21 or 22 together with the thumb and finger, the'kuob and theextensions being shaped to adapt them for such operation. When thusoperated, it is impossible for the crank to be swung past the contactoperating point without being stopped and held, it being necessary forthe operator to change the position of'his hand before the crank may. beadvanced beyond :such operating point. The crank may thus be swungquickly from one position to another without danger of over-running theoperating point.

As the presentinvention has been disclosed by means of a rather specificform of apparatus, and in connectionwith a specific type of circuitcontroller, it should be clearly understood that the invention is notlimited in its .scope to the exact details of construction shownand thatcertain changes and modifications may be made without departsaid plateand controllable to be separated by the joint action of said plate andsaid knob for locking said crank in definite positions for eitherdirection of movement of said crank, said means being releasable if saidknob is moved to difierent positions for each successive movement ofsaid crank.

2. In a latching means for railway signalling and switching circuitcontroller's, an arcuate strip having notches on the opposite edgesthereof and mounted on a stationary housing, a crank mounted to move inclose proximity to said strip, pins on said crank for engaging saidnotches and .a movable knob for selectively removing said pins from saidnotches. V

3. In a controller for railway'signalling circuits, a. casing, a shaftjournaled in said casing, circu t controlling means connected to saidshaft Within said casing, an operating crank secured to sald shaftoutside of said casing, an'arcuate strip secured to said casing adjacentsaid crankhaving notches in opposite edges thereof, and two movable pinscarried by said crank for engagement with said notches.

4. In a railway signalling circuit controller, a housinghaving a shaftjournaled therein, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an arcuatestrip having alternate spaced notches in its upper and lower edges andsecured to said housing, two latching pins slidably carried by saidcrank and mounted to engage said notches and the edges of saidstrip, andmeans carried by said crank for moving one of said latching pins awayfrom the edge of said strip while biasing the other of said latchingpins toward said strip.

5. In a railway signalling circuit controller, a housing having a shaftjournaled therein, a circuit controller connected to said shaft by gearmeans, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an arcuate stripsecured to said housing adjacent to said crank and provided withcircumferentially spaced notches alternately arranged on the op itsedges thereof, two latching pins s i ably mounted in said crank forengagement with said notches on said strip, means for biasing said pinstoward each other, and a movable knob slidably mounted in a second slotin said crank for selectively moving either one of said pins out of oneof said notches.

6. In a controller for railway signalling and switching circuits, acontact controlling 1 means in a casing, an operating shaft journaled insaid casing and geared to said means, a crank secured to said shaft, anarcuate strip secured to said vcasing adjacent to said crank, spacednotches alternately arranged on opposite sides of said strip, two spacedpins carried by a rod in said crank and engaging opposite sides of saidstrip, one of said pins being fixed to said rod and the other of saidpins being biased toward said fixed pin by a spring, means including aslidably mounted knob on said crank for moving said pins separately, andfixed extensions on said crank on either side of said knob andsubstantially in line with the path of motion thereof.

7. In a controller for railway signalling circuits, an operating crank,'a circuit controlling element connected to said operating crank, amovable knob for said crank, a lockingplate for said crank, andseparable means, spring blased against separation, carried by said crankto said plate and controllable jointly b said knob and locking plate tobe 7 separate by movement of said knob for looking said crank indefinite positions for either direction of movement of the crank, saidmeans being releasable if said knob be moved to a different position foreach successive movement of said crank.

8. In a controller for railway signalling circuits, anoperating crank, acircuit controlling element connected to said operating crank, a movableknob for said crank a lock element, and separable means carried by saidcrank and embracing the lock. element and controllable jointly by saidknob and lockin element to be separated by movement of sai knob forlocking said crank to said lock element in definite positions for eitherdirw tion of movement ofrthe crank, said means being releasable if saidknob be moved to different positions for each successive'movementof'said-crank.

In testimony WILLIAM C. LOCKE.

whereof I afiixmy signature.

